Everything about Css Patrick Henry totally explained
CSS Patrick Henry was built in
New York City in
1853 by the renowned
William H. Webb for the
Old Dominion Steam Ship Line as the civilian steamer
Yorktown, a brigantine-rigged side-wheel steamer. She carried passengers and freight between
Richmond,
Virginia and
New York City.
Yorktown had anchored in the
James River when
Virginia seceded from the Union on
17 April 1861 and was seized by the
Virginia Navy and later turned over to the
Confederate Navy on
June 8.
Commander John Randolph Tucker, who commanded the newly organized
James River Squadron, directed that
Yorktown be converted into a gunboat and renamed
Patrick Henry in honor of
that revolutionary patriot.
Career
Still commonly referred to as
Yorktown, she was assigned to a position near
Mulberry Island in the James to protect the right flank of the
Confederate Peninsula Army.
On
13 September 1861 and again on
2 December, Commander Tucker took
Patrick Henry down the river to a point about a mile and a half above
Newport News, Virginia, and opened fire on the Federal squadron at long range hoping to draw out some of the gunboats. The gambit was refused, but Tucker inflicted some minor damage.
During the
Battle of Hampton Roads on
8 March 1862 in which
Virginia destroyed the Federal warships
USS Cumberland and
USS Congress,
Patrick Henry attempted to take the latter's surrender but was fired upon by shore batteries, and took a shell in her steam chest which killed four men. Towed out of action long enough to make repairs, she soon resumed her former position.
During the historic
9 March 1862 action between
Virginia and
USS Monitor,
Patrick Henry fired long range at
Monitor. The Confederate Congress later accorded special thanks to all officers and men for their gallant conduct during the two-day battle.
Patrick Henry was also present during some of Virginia's other actions and, in a daring night operation on
5 May 1862, helped remove Confederate property from the
Norfolk Navy Yard before it was abandoned to the Federals.
After the surrender of
Norfolk, Virginia on
10 May 1862, the James River Squadron, including
Patrick Henry, retired up the river to
Drewry's Bluff where pursuing Federal ships were repulsed on
15 May.
Patrick Henry was designated an academy ship in May
1862 and underwent appropriate alterations to this end. In October
1863,
Patrick Henry housed the floating
Confederate States Naval Academy at Drewry's Bluff, where instruction for 52
midshipmen began under the superintendency of
Lieutenant William Harwar Parker. Numbers later increased to sixty, with thirteen teachers in attendance. Sometimes she took part in action with the midshipmen on board.
When Richmond was evacuated on
3 April 1865,
Patrick Henry was burned to prevent capture. Her cadets were charged with the delivery of a treasury of some CS$500,000 to the new government seat of
Danville, Virginia. Each was rewarded with $40 in gold.
Commanders
The commanders of the CSS
Patrick Henry were:
Further Information
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